CBI moves High Court to drop Chavan from Adarsh FIR

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court seeking permission to delete former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's name from the FIR for the Adarsh Housing scam.

The revision petition is likely to be heard by the high court on Thursday (today).

The CBI has sought Chavan's exclusion from the FIR owing to Maharashtra Governor Kateekal Sankaranaryanan's refusal to sanction his prosecution.

Chavan was among 13 people named by the CBI in the charge-sheet for the scam in January 2012. The former chief minister, who had to resign from the post when the scam first came to light in 2010, had challenged the inclusion of his name on the ground that the CBI had not sought the requisite sanction for prosecution from the governor.

The CBI countered his argument saying that since he was no longer a minister when the charge-sheet was filed, the governor's approval was not needed.

However, the trial court asked the CBI to seek the sanction of the governor, who rejected it citing inadequate evidence.

Following this, the CBI had sought the dismissal of the case against Chavan so the trial against the 12 others could proceed. The trial court, however, denied this plea as well in January this year.

The CBI had accused Chavan of approving additional floor space index for the Adarsh Society in return for two flats for his relatives. He was also charged with illegally approving, as the then Revenue Minister, allotment of 40 per cent of the flats to civilians though the society was said to be meant only for Kargil war widows and defence personnel.